EMORY 2006 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RECAP

The Emory University women's cross country team enjoyed another banner season that saw the squad turn in a number of noteworthy accomplishments.  Guided by the able hand of Head Coach John Curtin, the Eagles attained the following:

** A 14th-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championships.
** A 1st-place showing at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships, the team's 15th championship in the past 16 seasons.
** A No. 18 national ranking by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
** A No. 3 finish at the UAA Championships, the 16th straight year the Eagles had finished among the top three.
** Three runners who claimed All-University Association honors
** Six runners who garnered All-Region honors
** A 1st-place finish out of 20 teams at the Great American Cross Country Festival.

Pacing the team through the year was the trio of senior Amy DiBianca, junior Lauren Shores and sophomore Melissa Jones.  All three were consistent and outstanding performers all season and finished among Emory's top three runners in every meet.

Amy DiBianca
DiBianca paced the Eagles in three competitions including a first-place overall showing out of 177 contestants at the South/Southeast Regional.  Her performance spearheaded a 1-4-6-11-16 team finish and enabled her to claim All-Region honors for the fourth straight year.  For her effort, Amy was selected as the South/Southeast Women's Athlete of the Year.  DiBianca came in first among Emory runners and second overall out of 149 entrants at the Great American Cross Country Festival and helped the Eagles to a decisive first-place finish out of 20 teams.  She played a key role in Emory's second-place effort (17 teams) at the competitive Alabama Crimson Classic, finishing No. 2 among Emory runners and 14th out of 131 entrants with a 5K time of 19:14.08.   Finally, her seventh-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships paced the team with her 6K time of 22:41.7 representing the 12th-best time in school history.  DiBianca closed out her career as the school's most successful runner in terms of victories with a career record of 4,192-456.

Lauren Shores
Shores got off to a blazing start and was the team's top runner in the first two meets of the year, finishing fourth overall, at both the Sewanee Invitational (159 runners) and the Alabama Crismon Classic (131 runners).  Her 5K time of 18:29 at the Alabama Crimson Classic was the best effort by an Emory runner for that distance during the season and tied for 21st on the school's all-time list.  After ranking as the team's No. 2 runner at the Great American Cross Country Festival (4th overall out of 149 contestants), Shores paced the team and finished 10th overall in a field of 162 at the always competitive University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational.  At the conference championship, Shores' ninth-place finish enabled her to claim Second Team All-UAA recognition.  Shores would go on and earn All-Region honors after finishing sixth overall at the South/Southeast Regional Championship.

Melissa Jones
Jones came on strong during the second half of the season and brought home All-America honors following her 24th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the first Emory runner to earn that distinction since Angela Davie in 2002. Jones, who ranked among the top three Emory harriers in the first five meets of the year, landed All-Region honors for the second straight season after her fourth-place showing (No. 2 Emory runner) at the South/Southeast Regional Championships where she finished with a 6K time of 23:10.7.   She came away with a team-high 1,043 wins during the season.  Her best 5K time of the year was a 19:19.40 at the Alabama Crimson Classic that placed her third among Emory runners and 16th out of 131 competitors.  She earned Second Team All-UAA acclaim after her 10th-place finish at the conference meet.

Julia Morton
Morton was a model of consistency as she ranked among the Emory's top five runners in five of the six competitions she saw action in.  She was the Eagles' No. 4 runner and 16th out of 159 in the season opener at the Sewanee Invitational.  She turned in a solid effort at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational where she helped EU to a third-place finish (11 teams) with a 6K season-best time of 23:14.7, good for 29th place out of 162 runners. She brought home All-Region kudos following her 16th-place finish out of a field of 177 (24:20.2). 

Megan Shaughnessy
As a sophomore, Shaughnessy emerged as a consistent contributor and enjoyed a strong second half of the seasons.  She finished among the team's top five runners in each of the last four 6K races of the year.  She captured All-Region honors after ranking fourth among the Eagles' pack and 11th out of 177 runners at the South/Southeast Region Championships with a 6k time of 23:51.  At the Georgia State Invitational, Megan came in 17th out of 105 runners with a 5K time of 20:50.9.  At the UW-Oshkosh Invitational, she came in 30th out of 162 harriers with a 6K time of 23:15.

Sara Raiser
Raiser was named the UAA Rookie of the Year after pacing all frosh at the conference meet with a 6K time of 23:49 that placed her 18th overall out of 74 runners.  She had a good showing at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational, checking in 46th out of 162 with a season-best 6K effort of 23:35.  Sara competed in a total of six meets during the season.  Her best 5K mark was a 20:16.7, good for 37th place out of 131 entries, at the Alabama Crimson Classic.

Rebecca Flink
A talented first-year performer, Flink competed in seven meets during the fall and laid the groundwork for a promising future.  She was the No. 5 Emory finisher and 17th out of 149 at the Great American Cross Country Festival.  Her best 5K time was a 19:53, good for 26th position out of 131 runners at the Alabama Crimson Classic.  She was an All-Region honoree after her 32nd place showing (25:02) out of 177 contestants at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships.  Her best 6K time came at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational where she crossed the line in 24:16.8    


All-American (United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association)
Melissa Jones                           (one team)                    Zionsville, IN

All-South/Southeast /Region
Amy DiBianca                                                  Winston-Salem, NC
Melissa Jones                                                               Zionsville, IN
Lauren Shores                                                              Manchester, MO
Megan Shaughnessy                                                     San Antonio, TX
Julia Morton                                                                 Glen Allen, CA
Rebbeca Flink                                                              Loudonville, NY

South/Southeast Region Women's Athlete of the Year
Amy DiBianca                                                  Winston-Salem, NC

South/Southeast Region Coach of the Year
John Curtin

All-University Athletic Association
Amy DiBianca              First Team                    Winston-Salem, NC
Melissa Jones                           Second Team               Zionsville, IN
Lauren Shores                          Second Team               Manchester, MO

All-UAA Rookie of the Year
Sara Raiser                                                                   Lilburn, GA

United States Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American
Amy DiBianca
Jennifer Cronin
Julia Morton

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY HONORED FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

(Feb. 27) The Emory University Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams have been honored as 2006 NCAA Division III All-Academic Teams.  In addition, five individual Eagles named NCAA III All-Academic honorees.

The Men's Cross Country Team recorded a team grade point average of 3.41, the 12th best of all NCAA Division III schools, and third best among University Athletic Association (UAA) institutions.  Two Emory men, junior Bryan Forsyth and freshman Tommy Fyffe, were individual All-Academic honorees.

The Women's Cross Country Team's grade point average of 3.48 was the 40th best among NCAA Division III institutions, and the third best in the UAA.  Individual Emory women honored include seniors Amy DiBianca, Jennifer Cronin and Julia Morton.

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES 14th  AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 18) - The No. 18-ranked Emory University women's cross country team posted a 14th-place finish out of 32 teams at the NCAA Division III Championships Saturday.  The competition was held at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.

Capturing first place was Middlebury with 144 points while Amherst finished runner-up with 145 points.  Calvin College (149 pts.), Washington University (186 pts.) and Tufts (214 pts.) rounded out the top five.

Emory finished the meet with 416 points.  Leading the way for the Eagles was sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, Indiana) who came in 24th out of 279 runners with a 6K time of 23:39.  Jones' finish enabled her to claim All-America honors. Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) was the second Emory contestant to cross the finish line with a time of 24:33, good for 72nd position.  Junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) posted a time of 25:05 and finished 116th.  Other Emory scorers included senior Julia Morton (Allen, VA) with an effort of 25:38 and sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) with a mark of 25:43.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TO TAKE PART IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Nov. 16) The Emory University women's cross country team will be one of 32 squads competing this Saturday (Nov. 18) at the 2006 NCAA Cross Country Championships.  The women's
6K race is slated to begin at noon and will be held at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.  Serving as the host institution is Wilmington College.  The Emory women's team gained an automatic berth to this year's event by virtue of its first-place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional last weekend.

The men's team will be represented by freshman Tommy Fyffe and sophomore Vikram Srivastava who earned at-large entries following last weekend's regional. Fyffe finished third overall in the 152-runner field while Srivastava posted a 12th-place effort. The men's 8K competition will begin at 11:00 a.m.

The women's team will be looking to build upon the momentum from last weekend's championship effort at the regional.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) turned in a stellar performance, crossing the line in first place in the 177-runner field with a 6K time of 22:54.2  DiBianca was one of three Emory runners to finish among the top six with sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) coming through with fourth and sixth-place finishes, respectively.  Emory concluded last weekend with 38 points, 26 ahead of runner-up Trinity.

The Emory women finished 11th out of 24 teams at last year's NCAA Championships. DiBianca paced the team's showing with a 24th-place finish.

EMORY'S JOHN CURTIN AND AMY DiBIANCA HONORED BY TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY COACHES ASSOCIATION  

(Nov. 15) - Emory University Head Cross Country Coach John Curtin and senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) have been honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross CountryCoaches Association ( USTFCCCA) following a first-place finish by the Eagles' women's team last weekend at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional.

Curtin was named as the South/Southeast Region Coach of the Year as Emory captured its second straight and 15th regional crown in the past 16 years.  The Eagles had three of the top six finishers overall in the meet en route to its championship total of 38 points, 26 points ahead of the runner-up. Curtin will be taking his 15th women's team to the NCAA Championships this weekend (Nov. 18) in Mason, Ohio.

DiBianca was selected as Women's Athlete of the Year following her first-place finish out of 177 runners.  DiBianca clocked in with a time of 22:54.2 over the 6K course and in the process earned her fourth consecutive First Team All-South Region berth.  In addition, this will be DiBianca's fourth trip to the NCAA Championships.

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD CAPTURES NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL - EARNS AUTOMATIC BID TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 11) - The No. 19-ranked Emory University women's cross country team came recorded a first-place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional and in the process earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.  The South/Southeast Regional was hosted by Emory University and held at the Georgia Regional Hospital in Decatur.

The Eagles paced the 26-team field with 38 points.  Trinity University (Tex.) finished runner-up with 64 points and earned the second automatic bid from the region.  Washington & Lee (106 pts.), Mary Washington (106 pts.) and Rhodes (183 pts.) rounded out the top five team finishers.  Emory had three of the top six individual finishers and saw its five scorers rank among the top 16.

As has been the case most of the season, the trio of senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC), junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) led the Emory effort. DiBianca finished in first place out of 177 entrants with a 6K time of 22:54.2.  Jones posted a fourth-place finish with an effort of 23:10.7 while Shores' mark of 23:27.2 placed her sixth.  Their finished enabled the three to claim First Team All-South Region honors.  Rounding out the Emory scorers were sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX), whose time of 23:51.7 was good for 11th place, and senior Julia Morton (Glen Allen, CA) with a 16-place time of 24:20.2. Shaughnessy earned Second Team All-Region recognition while Morton and freshman Rebecca Flink (Loudonville, NY) earned All-Region kudos as well.

"I thought that the women ran a solid race and did a great job," Emory Head Coach John Curtin said. "Amy DiBianca ran brilliantly and it was rewarding to see her win the championship. She has been the backbone of the team the past few years and to see her win the Region was great."

It marks the second straight year that Emory has won the South/Southeast Regional.  Last year, Emory finished with 26 points in the competition that was held in Delaware, Ohio. 

The 2006 NCAA Championships will be held at Voice of America Park in Mason, Ohio, on Saturday, Nov. 18. Serving as host institution will be Wilmington College.  It will represent the 15th appearance in the last 16 years at the NCAA Championships by the Emory women's program.

 EMORY CROSS COUNTRY HOSTS NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 9) - The Emory University cross country program will serve as the host institution for the NCAA South/Southeast Regional this Saturday (Nov. 11) with the top two teams in both the men's and women's races earning automatic berths to the NCAA Championships.  The Regional Championships will be held at the Georgia Regional Hospital in nearby Decatur.  The men's 8K race begins at 11:00 a.m., with the women's 6K competition starting at noon.  A total of 25 men's teams will be competing while the women's competition will feature 29 squads.

The South/Southeast Regional is one of eight regionals being held across the country.  A total of 16 teams (top two teams from each region) in both the men's and women's competition will earn automatic berths while 16 squads will garner at-large berths.  In addition, seven runners from each region from teams who do not qualify will be selected for the NCAA Championships which will be held on Nov. 18 at Voice of America Park located in Mason, Ohio.

The Emory women's team, ranked 19th in the nation, is coming off a third-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships (Oct. 28) and looks to make a serious run at qualifying for the nationals. Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) earned All-UAA first-team honors following her seventh-place finish out of 74 runners. In addition to DiBianca's performance, junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) earned second-team All-UAA recognition with ninth and tenth-place finishes, respectively. Emory enters this year's Regional as the defending champion.  In 2005, the Eagles topped a 22-team field with 26 points as they had four runners finish among the top six overall.

The Eagles' men squad will be looking to rebound after an eighth-place finish at the conference championships.  Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) paced Emory's effort with a 25th-place finish in the 78-runner field.  Fyffe's effort enabled him to claim the league's Rookie of the Year Award.  Sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) was Emory's No. 2 finisher and 29th overall.  Last year the men's team posted a third-place finish at the South/Southeast Regional.  Centre College captured first place.

 EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES THIRD AT UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Oct. 28) - The No. 18-ranked Emory University women's cross country team posted a third-place finish at the 20th Annual University Athletic Association Championships held at Central Fields at Forest Park in St. Louis.

The Eagles finished the race with 63 points.  No. 17-ranked Case Western Reserve snapped Washington University's four-year reign as champion, finishing with 39 points.  Host Washington came in a close second with 42 points.  The University of Chicago (79 pts.) and Brandeis (122 pts.) rounded out the top five squads.

Emory saw a trio of runners place among the top 10 finishers.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) crossed the line in seventh position in the 74-runner field with a 6K time of 22:41.74.  Junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) was the Eagles' No. 2 finisher and ninth overall with an effort of 22:51.13 while sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) turned in a 10th-place finish in a time of 22:55.76.  Other Eagle scorers included freshman Sara Raiser (Lilburn, GA), whose showing of 23:49.04 placed her 18th, and sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) who concluded the race in 19th position with a mark of 23:52.48.

Emory's next action will be when it hosts the NCAA South/Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 11.

2006 UAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

 EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS GEAR UP FOR UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Oct. 25) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head to Missouri when they compete at the 20th Annual University Athletic Association Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 28.  Hosted by Washington University, the men's 8K-race begins at 11:00 a.m. (CDT), followed by the women's 6K event at noon.  Both races will be held at Central Fields at Forest Park.

"It is going to be a great meet on both sides," Emory Head Coach John Curtin stated.  "There are going to be national-caliber programs competing and we are certainly looking forward to it.  I think that both our men's and women's team have yet run their best races and hopefully this weekend they will be able to do that."

The Emory women's team, ranked 18th nationally, will be attempting to break  Washington University's (ranked 3rd nationally) four-year reign as champion.  The Eagles have finished runner-up to the Bears in each of the past two championships and enter the weekend hoping to bring home the crown.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) finished fifth and 11th, respectively, in last year's competition en route to all-conference recognition. 

"Washington University enters the race as the cream of the crop but we are looking to put it together and give them a race," Curtin said.  "It is going to take contributions from all five runners to accomplish that."

The men's squad will be aiming to improve upon its seventh-place finish from a year ago. 
Sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) led the Eagles' contingent with a 26th place, becoming the first freshman to lead the team at the UAA meet since 1996.   Carnegie Mellon enters this year's competition as defending champion but will be seriously challenged by No. 3-ranked New York University.

"I believe that our men's team will show improvement from a year ago," Curtin said.  "The guys have been training hard and are ready to step it up."

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES THIRD AT UW-OSHKOSH INVITATIONAL

(Oct. 14) - The No. 21-ranked Emory University women's cross country team enjoyed a strong showing at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational, posting a third-place finish out of 11 teams.  The Eagles finished the race with 95 points.  No. 3-ranked Washington University claimed the top spot with 38 points and was followed by No. 7-ranked Calvin College's total of 42 points.  Rounding out the top five finishers were No. 20 DePauw in the fourth spot with 111 points and the University of Chicago with 132 points.  The race was held at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wisconsin.

Emory saw a trio of runners place among the top 15 finishers.  Junior Lauren Shores
(Manchester, MO) was the Eagles' No. 1 finisher and tenth overall in the 162-runner field with a 6K time of 22:26.01.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) crossed the line in 11th position with an effort of 22:29.18 while sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) recorded a time of 22:35.74, good for 15th place.  Other Eagle scorers included senior Julia Morton (Allen, VA), who came in 29th place with a showing of 23:14.77, and sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) with a time of 23:15.09, good for 30th position.  Freshman Sara Raiser (Lilburn, GA) and senior Jennifer Cronin (Dacula, GA) also competed for Emory and finished 40th and 45th, respectively, with times of 23:36 and 23:47.

Emory's next action will be at the University Athletic Association Championships in Saint Louis on Oct. 28.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT UW-OSHKOSH INVITATIONAL

(Oct. 10) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams will pack their bags and head to Wisconsin when they compete at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational on Saturday (Oct. 14).  The men's 8K competition begins at 10:30 a.m. (CST) while the women's 6K race will begin at 11:15 a.m.  Both races will be held at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wisconsin.

Head Coach John Curtin and his squads have been pointing to this meet and the Eagles will race their top runners in both events. 

"This is a great opportunity for both teams to race against quality competition," Curtin said.  "We have been training hard and look to use this as a springboard to a strong second half of the season."

In its most recent action, the men's team came in fourth out of 13 teams at the Georgia State Invitational this past weekend.  Junior Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) led the Emory contingent with a second-place finish out of 104 runners, covering the 8K course in a time of 26:32.3.  Sophomore Luke Wetzel (Olathe, KS) posted a 10th-place finish with a time of 27:16.70.

The women's team holds down a No. 18 national ranking heading into the UW-Oshkosh competition.  At the Georgia State Invitational, the Eagles entered four contestants in the 105-runner field.  Sophomore Rebecca Willett (Mobile, AL) finished eighth with a 5K time of 20:16.04.  Senior Katie Parafinczuk (Derby, NY) posted a 15-th place performance (20:39..5) while sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) and freshman Naomi Schuster (Birmingham, AL) crossed the line in 17th and 34th place, respectively.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO RACE AT GEORGIA STATE INVITATIONAL

(Oct. 5) The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams will stay close to home this Saturday (Oct. 7) when they compete at the Georgia State Invitational.  The meet will be held at the Georgia Regional Hospital, the site of the 2006 NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships which Emory will host.  The men's 8K race begins at 9:00 a.m., while the women's 5K competition is scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m.

As was the case with last weekend's Georgia Collegiate Championships, Head Coach John Curtin will likely opt to rest his top runners on both the men's and women's side as they point to the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational competition on Oct. 14.

Last week, the men's side posted a second-place finish out of 12 teams at the Georgia Collegiate Championships in Macon.  The Eagles finished with 82 points and trailed only Berry College's first-place total of 64 points. 

Freshman Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) led Emory's efforts in that race, posting an 8K time of 27:21, good for the runner-up spot to Abraham Kiprotich of Chattahoochee College who finished first with a time of 27:12.  Sophomore Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) was the second Emory contestant to cross the line in a time of 27:54, good for 14th position overall out of 111 runners.  Junior Andrew Swerlick (Atlanta) concluded the race in 19th place with a showing of 28:12. 

The women's squad is ranked 18th nationally, up four spots from the previous week. The Eagles came in fifth out of 15 teams last week at the Georgia Collegiate Championships. 

Senior Jennifer Cronin (Dacula, GA) led the Eagles' squad with an eighth-place finish out of 118 competitors with a time of 19:55.7.  Seniors Katie Parafinczuk (Derby, NY) and Asha Natarajan (Acworth, GA) were the next two Emory finishers with Parafinczuk recording a time of 20:26.9, good for 20th position, and Natarajan an effort of 20:33.5, good for 23rd. 

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD CLAIMS FIFTH PLACE AT GEORGIA COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 

(Sept. 30) - The Emory University women's cross country team finished fifth out of 15 teams at the Georgia Collegiate Championships.  The Eagles finished the race with 127 points. Berry College claimed the top spot with 72 points and was followed by Clayton State's score of 87 points.  Holding down the No. 3 spot was host Mercer University (89 pts.) and Augusta State (100 pts.) took home fourth place.  The race was held at the Georgia Children's Hospital in Macon.

A number of Emory's top performers did not compete, opting to train through the weekend.  Senior Jennifer Cronin (Dacula, GA) led the Eagles' squad with an eighth-place finish out of 118 competitors with a time of 19:55.7.  Seniors Katie Parafinczuk (Derby, NY) and Asha Natarajan (Acworth, GA) were the next two Emory finishers with Parafinczuk recording a time of 20:26.9, good for 20th position, and Natarajan an effort of 20:33.5, good for 23rd.  Sophomore Kathryn McElheny (Carbondale, IL) and freshman Naomi Schuster (Birmingham, AL) came in 34th and 42nd, respectively, with postings of 20:59.7 and 21:23.7.

Emory's next action will be at the Georgia State Invitational Classic on Oct. 7.

 EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT MERCER INVITATIONAL/GEORGIA COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Sept. 27) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons this Saturday (Sept. 30) when the Eagles compete at the Mercer Invitational/Georgia Collegiate Championships.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Georgia Children's Home in Macon.  Action gets underway with the women's race at 9:00 a.m., followed with the men's competition at 9:35 am.

The women's squad, ranked 22nd nationally, turned in a first-place finish out of 20 teams at the Great American Cross Country Festival last weekend.  The Eagles had three performers finish among the top six led by senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) who finished second out of 149 competitors with a time of 19:29. 5 over the 5K course.  Junior Lauren Shores ( Manchester, MO) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) turned in strong efforts, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively, with times of 19:47.1 and 20:02.5.

The men's team also came home with first-place honors out of 15 schools.  Junior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) came crossed the line in sixth place out of 109 runners over the 8K course in a time of 28:07.7.  Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) and senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) registered eighth and ninth-place efforts with times of 28:18.7 and 28:23.4, respectively.

Head Coach John Curtin will likely sit out most of his top runners on both sides this weekend and give the opportunity to some other competitors to make their mark.

"This race will give our second ten runners on both the women's and men's teams the opportunity to show what they can do," Curtin said.  "These runners have been training hard from the onset and are hungry to race.  If we have some close correlating times with some of our first-team runners, then we'll give them a chance to race at the Georgia State meet the following weekend to earn a spot for the UW-Oshkosh Trip."

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT GREAT AMERICAN CROSS COUNTRY FESTIVAL

(Sept. 20) - After turning in fine performances last weekend, the Emory University men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Saturday (Sept. 23) when the Eagles compete in the Great American Cross Country Festival held in Hoover, Alabama.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Hoover Shelby Park.  Action gets underway with the men's race at 8:20 a.m., to be followed with the women's competition at 8:55 am.

The women's squad turned in a second-place finish out of 17 teams at the Crimson Classic last weekend, trailing only Mississippi State, while the men's team finished fifth out of 17 teams.

The women's team, ranked 15th in the nation, had three runners finish among the top 16 runners at the Crimson Classic, led by junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO).  Shores finished fourth out of 131 competitors with a time of 18:29.2.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) posted 14th and 16th-place finishes, respectively, with times of 19:14.1 and 19:19.4

"I'm curious as to how the women's team will perform," Head Coach John Curtin said.  "This is our second race in two weeks and I felt when I scheduled this meet that it was important to run back-to-back.  It is what you have to do later on in the season when it comes to competing in regionals and then nationals." 

A number of Emory men saw their first action of the year at the Crimson Classic.  Senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL) was one those runners and he ranked as the top Emory performer over the 8K course with a time of 26:40.8, good for 26th position out of 120 competitors. 
Junior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) was the second Emory runner to cross the line in a time of 27:13.2, good for 35th position, while senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) turned in a 36th-place showing 27:13.6.

"We are looking at this as an opportunity to get in a race where we are competitive," Curtin said.  "We are running on a challenging course and we want to see if we can take our performance farther and keep improving."

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TURNS IN SOLID SECOND-PLACE SHOWING AT ALABAMA CRIMSON CLASSIC  

(Sept. 15) - The No. 15-ranked Emory University women's cross country team turned in an excellent showing at the Alabama Crimson Classic, posting a second-place finish out of 17 teams.  The Eagles' team total of 73 points trailed only Mississippi State's first-place standard of 33 points.  Rounding out the top five were host Alabama (106 pts.), Kennesaw State (133 pts.) and Alabama-Huntsville (136 pts.).  The meet was held at the Harry Pritchard Course in Tuscaloosa.

For the second straight meet, junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) paced the Eagles' effort with a fourth-place performance out of 131 runners with a time of 18:29.2 over the 5K course.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) came in 14th place with a mark of 19:14 while junior Melissa Jones' (Zionville, IN) time of 19:19.40 was good for 16th position.  Emory's next two finishers were sophomore Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) and senior Julia Morton (Allen, VA) with showings of 19:30.3 and 19:37.3, respectively, which placed them 20th and 23rd.

"I was very pleased with the results of the race and the effort the team showed," Head Coach John Curtin said."  We got our top five in just a little over a minute of each other. There was some real good competition at this meet and the team responded."

The next action for the Emory squad is an appearance at the Great American Cross Country Festival next Saturday (8:20 am) in Hoover, Alabama.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT ALABAMA CRIMSON CLASSIC

(Sept. 13) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Friday (Sept. 15) when the Eagles compete in the University of Alabama Crimson Classic held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Harry Pritchett Cross Country Course.  Action gets underway at 5:00 pm with the women's race while the men are scheduled to start at 5:30 pm.

Head Coach John Curtin and his Eagles will be competing in their second meet of the year.  The Emory men's team finished fifth out of 15 teams at the Sewanee Invitational on Sept. 2 while the women's side posted a second-place finish out of 19 squads. 

"This will be our first test of the season," Emory head coach John Curtin said."  "Both teams have had the opportunity to do some quality training since the Sewanee meet.  There will be some good competition and it will be an early indication of where we are.  With each competition, we look to show improvement and get better."

The women's team, ranked 15th in the nation, had three runners finish among the top 13 runners at the Sewanee Invitational, led by junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO).  Shores finished fourth out of 159 competitors with a time of 18:35.9.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) posted eighth and 13th-place finishes, respectively.

The men's team held out a number of its top performers in the Sewanee competition in order to get more training in for Friday's action.  Freshman Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) paced the team's effort at Sewanee with a 24th-place finish (out of 152 runners) of 27:41.5 while classmate Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was right behind him in 25th with a time of 27:41.8

EMORY WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD TAKES HOME SECOND PLACE AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH INVITATIONAL  

(Sept. 2) - The Emory University women's cross country team turned in a solid effort at the University of the South Invitational, finishing second out of 19 teams.  The Eagles finished with 58 points and trailed only Mississippi State's first-place standard of 28 points.  The meet was held in Sewannee, Tennessee.

Leading the pack for Emory was junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) with a fourth-place showing out of 159 competitors with a time of 18:35.94 over the 5K course.  Michelle Corrigan of Mississippi State claimed first place with a mark of 18.28.06.  Senior Amy DiBianca's (Winston-Salem, NC) effort of 19:01.86 was good for eighth position while sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) was the third Emory finisher and 13th overall with a time of 19:32.86.   Rounding out the scorers for the Eagles were senior Julia Morton (Allen, VA) and sophomore Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) who finished 16th and 17th, respectively, with postings of 20:01.57 and 20:01.67.

Emory's next action will be at the Alabama Crimson Classic on Sept. 15.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS OPEN 2006 SEASON

(Sept. 1) - The 2006 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams open the season on Saturday (Sept. 2) when they compete in the 26th annual University of the South Cross Country Invitational held in Sewanee, Tennessee.   Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Sewanee Golf Course.  Action gets underway at 10:00 am with the women's race while the men are scheduled to start at 11:00 am.

Head Coach John Curtin and his Eagles are eager to start the year in this competition that features approximately 20 men's teams and 21 women's squads.  Last year, Emory's men's team tied for third place out of 14 teams, with Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) leading way with a third-place finish, while the Eagle women took home first-place honors out of 17 squads.  Leading that group was Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) with a third-place effort out of 143 runners. 

"With the men's team we're going to hold out four of our top five guys and training through it and open them up at the Alabama Classic," Curtin said.  "This meet is going to give our freshmen the opportunity to get some collegiate experience and then some of the others who are fighting for a top five spot a chance to establish what they are going to do.  The only one of our top five we are going to run is Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA)."

"As for the women's team, we are going to run everybody.  We are going to divide them up into groups and assign time goals for each mile.  We are going to try to run it as a group and let them race the last mile.  It is still a little early to let it all hang out so we are going to use it as a measuring stick."